


Great Non-Expectations

by Miss_Vanderwaal



Category: Pretty Little Liars, Pretty Little Liars RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-07-19 14:54:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7366114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Vanderwaal/pseuds/Miss_Vanderwaal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The filming of season five of Pretty Little Liars has come to an end and the cast is ready to go on vacation. Janel asks Ashley if she wants to go to Oahu with her, her homeland, and blow off some steam.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Great Non-Expectations

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HarleysLittleMonster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarleysLittleMonster/gifts).



> The gang wrapped season five up in late 2014, if I'm not mistaken, so it's when this takes place.
> 
> Now a little disclaimer: I'm very aware that Janel Parrish has a sweetheart of a boyfriend and so does Ashley Benson. I wrote this purely for fun, not to start a conspiracy theory about them having an affair off set. 
> 
> Lastly, I wanna thank MonaLover07, because if it wasn't for her motivation, this probably would've stayed unfinished forever.

_“Off to Oahu with a genuine Hawaiian beauty.”_

   It was the only information that Ashley’s Twitter account held about that vacation trip. There was not a single picture yet on her Instagram of that beautiful and unbelievably blue ocean; not even one selfie with Janel on that paradisiacal beach. It was honestly a new record for her; after all, she loved taking pictures – silly ones or not, it didn’t matter.

   She couldn’t possibly describe it, but it was a strange feeling, in which she knew she could trust, though; it told her to leave her phone in the guest room of Janel’s parents’ house and just relax at that beach beside the girl for a while, pretending L.A. and the crazy life they lived never really existed for them.

\- I get it now why you always insist on coming here at least twice every year – she said softly to Janel, briefly glancing at her and back to the water once again. – It’s been so long since I’ve been here on my own, I forgot half of this place’s amaziness.

\- Yeah – Janel nodded, distantly. – I mean, I, too, sometimes forget how good this place makes me feel. Sometimes when I get too caught up on work, to stress point, that’s when I know I have to come back here and just… breathe, you know? And turn off my phone for at least the first few hours.

   Ashley laughed.

\- Is this a thing Oahu does to people? – she lay on her blue striped beach mat. The sun was already coming down so it didn’t hurt looking straight up at the sky without sunglasses on. – Because it seems like there’s not a fucking thing for me to worry about back in L.A. And, God, it feels great.

\- It must be – Janel laughed coyly along. – I think it’s the energy that this place has; it makes you want to enjoy it for as long as it’s near you. I know Cali is all about sun and beaches, too, but… to me it’s just _not_ the same. It probably sounds not so creditable coming from a native Hawaiian anyways.

\- No – Ashley sat up again. – It does sound creditable. Actually, I think it’s beautiful whenever you talk about your home like that.

   Janel turned to Ashley with the softest smile on her face.

\- You do?

   The blonde nodded, her lips slightly curved up as well.

\- Your love for this land is undeniable. It’s in your eyes, and now I love it here too – she carefully grabbed Janel’s left hand, wishing silently for the girl not to move it away. – Thank you for the invite, by the way. And for everything else that happened this past week.

   Janel squeezed her palm against Ashley’s. On the brunette’s face rested an overly serene expression.

\- It wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t said yes right from the start, so thank _you_.

   Ashley lowered her gaze to their intertwined hands. The whole thing felt so genuine with no one with a camera around their neck in sight to register it for instant publicity – it wasn’t that she was afraid of something, far away from that. It just felt more real than almost anything she had ever experienced.

\- You do realize that we can go on forever like this, don’t you?

   Janel laughed once again as she agreed; a beautiful sound, honestly.

\- We’ve said our thanks – Ashley had to hold herself to not pull the girl up with no further explanation –, now do you wanna go for a dip?

\- Yes, please – Janel didn’t let go of Ashley’s hand, and the blonde pulled her friend up.

   They ran across the soft sand to the sea and only let go of each other’s hands when the water was at stomach height for both of them. A second later, their bikini tops were also hidden. Ashley dove in for a second, feeling somehow purified by the slightly cold water. When she came back to the surface, she noticed Janel with her long hair wet as well. They laughed silently at each other and Janel stepped closer to Ashley, leaning in almost tentatively.

  The taste of salt was on their lips, but the kiss felt tender and sweet, and unrushed as the small waves around them. Ashley’s right hand had a soft grip on Janel’s hair. It felt like their own version of an eternity once they broke apart, in which they came to know more about each other, even more than they had known in five continuous years as co-workers.

\- I was in fact wondering when would this happen again – Janel stated, not dropping her serenity.

   Ashley felt a flirtatious smile widening across her face.

\- Was that why you invited me here? – she put her arms around the girl – Because you were expecting we would make out on the stress free beach?

\- Partly – Janel timidly gave her back the flirtatious smile. – Expecting isn’t the word, though. It’s more like hoping.

   Ashley’s mind flashed back to the past week; to last Saturday, exactly.

   They had just ended with filming season five of Pretty Little Liars and the whole cast gathered up to celebrate, as always. Ashley took Janel to the dance floor after asking the DJ to hit Jessie J’s Bang Bang. The routine to the song was fresh in her mind from watching Shay Mitchell dance. Besides, it had been the very first song Janel danced to on Dancing With the Stars – so the brunette knew how to move to the beat of it as well –, and Ashley had been in the audience.

   Everything was literally perfect and took only two glasses of champagne for Ashley to take Janel up to the terrace of the building where the party was being held and kiss her. Things started to heat up and Janel let out a whispery question while her neck was being kissed: if Ashley would like to go on vacation with her, to Hawaii. The blonde said yes with no further hesitation, but they didn’t really talk about anything that had happened that night until Thursday, over a smoothie. Then, Janel properly asked if Ashley really wanted to spend some time with her in her parents’ house in Oahu. Looking straight in those brown eyes and under absolutely no influence of alcohol, Ashley said yes one more time.

\- I could’ve sworn you were trying to keep your distance – Ashley dropped the flirting act and prayed to not sound too hurt. Somehow the water was colder now than it had been a few seconds ago.

\- I was – Janel’s tone was lighter. – For some reason I overthought this, but fortunately I realized in time that I wanted this just as much as you did when you made the first move.

   Ashley simply smiled in return, extremely relieved, and narrowed the distance between them to none with a tight hug, feeling tears slowly gathering up in her eyes. The sound of the water as their bodies moved delicately through it was the most relaxing ever.

\- Expectations are bullshit, you know? – Janel disentangled from her just enough so they were facing each other – I mean, look at us. Teenager me would never have imagined she would run into you again, three years after The O.C., in an audition room for PLL. And late twenties me still can’t wrap her head around the fact that she has you in her arms, in the middle of her personal paradise.

   Ashley kept quiet for a moment, mostly to try and get herself together, and then her gaze fell on Janel’s right shoulder; more precisely on what was written there in ink. It was Latin for _love conquers all_. Something very strong hit Ashley every time she eyed that naked shoulder on set without make up covering it. It was the most beautiful tattoo that the brunette had, in her opinion. She kissed it carefully, and then the little hibiscus flower behind Janel’s right ear.

\- I guess we’re each other’s great non-expectations, then.


End file.
